Powered Rocking Base for Infant Car Seat

ABSTRACT

A powered rocking base for a typical molded plastic infant car seat to allow the infant car seat to attach to the rocking base and facilitate a rocking motion of the base and infant car seat. The rocking base attaches to typical molded plastic infant car seats currently in production. The rocking base provides side-mounted friction knobs that allow for secure attachment of a typical molded plastic infant car seat. A power unit is mounted within a housing on the underside of the rocking base. The rocking motion is provided by a mechanical rotating weight inside the housing that is weighted eccentrically and rotates in a horizontal plane, creating a fore and aft rocking motion.

REFERENCES CITED

3,851,343 March 1974 Kinslow, Jr.  5/109 4,656,680 April 1987 Wilson  5/108 4,911,499 May 1990 Meeker 294/260 4,985,949 January 1991 Jantz  5/109 5,277,472 January 1994 Freese et al. 297/130 5,342,113 August 1994 Wu 297/260 5,860,698 January 1999 Asenstorfer et al. 297/260

BACKGROUND OF THE INVENTION

1. Field of Invention

This invention relates to rocking devices for a typical molded plastic infant car seat, specifically; a rocking base which secures a typical molded plastic infant car seat to achieve fore and aft rocking motion.

2. Description of Prior Art

A typical molded plastic infant car seat acts as the primary method of transportation for an infant. Infants tend to sleep in their infant car seats as a result of the motion from the automobile. Transporting a sleeping infant from a car to inside a home can be easily achieved by removing the infant car seat from the automobile and carrying it inside the home. The infant car seat can be placed anywhere inside the home but because of the sudden lack of motion, the infant usually awakes. The need for a device in the home that can accommodate and secure a typical molded plastic infant car seat and provide continuous motion of the infant car seat is necessary so that the simulated motion can continue to help an infant sleep.

Exhausted parents will often take their baby on an automobile ride for the sake of helping the infant fall asleep. They may also place the infant in their typical molded plastic infant car seat at home and manually rock the infant car seat so that the infant falls asleep. Because the majority of commercially produced typical molded plastic infant car seats are comprised of a one piece molded plastic body and a rounded base, a fore and aft rocking motion of the seat can be accomplished by holding the top or bottom edge of the infant car seat and slowly pressing up and down. A need for a device that accomplishes this rocking motion automatically is desirable, as well as a device that can accommodate any typical molded infant plastic car seat currently offered.

Today, parents have many options to choose from when purchasing a rocking device for soothing a baby, however; there is currently not one device on the market that adapts to a typical molded plastic infant car seat to achieve a soothing fore and aft rocking motion. The use of one rocking device which accommodates any typical molded plastic infant car seat simplifies the need for multiple swinging, gliding or rocking devices for parents.

A rocking device has been proposed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,985,949 (1991) to Jantz. Although the device as described does rock a typical plastic molded infant car seat, it is insufficient for the following reasons:

-   -   A) The device uses leverage against the floor, rather than         rotating weight, which we feel is less natural and forced.     -   B) The device lacks a mechanism to secure the typical plastic         molded infant car seat.

Similarly in U.S. Pat. No. 5,860,698 (1999) to Asenstorfer et al., the device uses a lift drive rather than rotating weight.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,656,680 (1987) to Wilson, depicts a device that produces oscillating motion for a combined base and carrier on a horizontal plane rather than fore and aft rocking motion. Our device is not limited to a single typical molded plastic infant car seat.

U.S. Pat. No. 5,277,472 (1994) to Freese et al, discloses a multi-functional device which functions as an infant carrier, a glider, or a car seat used in transporting an infant in an automobile, however; this device, when functioning as a glider, swings relative to its base as it is suspended by support members. For this device to properly function, the infant car seat must be mated with its base as a combined unit.

Our powered rocking base for a typical molded plastic infant car seat operates in a fore and aft rocking motion rather than a swinging motion. Our device can be paired with multiple types of typical molded plastic infant car seats. Also, we are making no claims that our device, when combined with a typical molded plastic infant car seat, can be used as a safety device for transporting an infant in an automobile.

U.S. Pat. No. 4,911,499 (1990) to Meeker, discloses a stationary platform base for an infant seat. The device is a stationary platform base that uses a leaf spring to oscillate the seat attached to the base.

Our powered rocking base for a typical molded plastic infant car seat is a base that is not stationary, but rather rocks with the assistance of a power supply and mechanical rotating weight housed on the bottom of the base which is weighted eccentrically and rotates in a horizontal plane, creating a fore and aft rocking motion.

BRIEF SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The purpose of the invention is to provide a rocking mechanism, for the purpose of soothing an infant, in combination with a commercially produced typical molded plastic infant car seat. This type of mechanism is not available in production.

In brief, a typical molded plastic infant car seat is lowered onto the powered rocking base for an infant car seat and secured with the side-mounted friction knobs. Once secured, the powered rocking base for an infant car seat will be turned on allowing the powered rocking base for an infant car seat to rock in a fore and aft motion as the eccentrically weighted mechanical weight rotates.

BRIEF DESCRIPTION OF THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 is a side-to-top view of the powered rocking base for a typical molded plastic infant car seat.

FIG. 2 is a front ¾ view of the powered rocking base for a typical molded plastic infant car seat with a simulated typical molded plastic infant car seat attached.

FIG. 3 is a side view of the powered rocking base for a typical molded plastic infant car seat.

FIG. 4 is a bottom-to-side view of the powered rocking base for a typical molded plastic infant car seat.

FIG. 5 is a back view of the powered rocking base for a typical molded plastic infant car seat.

FIG. 6 is a front view of the powered rocking base for a typical molded plastic infant car seat.

FIG. 7 is a sectional top view of the power unit, gears and weight.

FIG. 8 is a sectional side view of the power unit, gears, and weight.

FIG. 9 is a view of the powered rocking base for a typical molded plastic infant car seat in motion.

DETAILED DESCRIPTION OF THE INVENTION

With reference to FIG. 1, the side-to-top view of the powered rocking base includes side-mounted friction knobs 1, to secure a typical molded infant car seat, and concave runners 2, which assist the fore and aft rocking motion of the base. The floor of the base 3, is a non-slip surface, on which a commercially available typical molded plastic infant car seat rests. FIG. 2 illustrates a simulated typical molded plastic infant car set 4, secured to the powered rocking base by friction knobs 1. In FIG. 3, the side view of the powered rocking base shows a side-mounted friction knob 1, and concave runners 2, which assist the fore and aft rocking motion of the base. The bottom view of the powered rocking base for a typical molded plastic infant car seat in FIG. 4, shows the location of the housing for the power supply and mechanical rotating weight 5, location where a power cord would attach to the powered rocking base 6, the location of a variable speed on/off switch 7, and a location which supports a battery power supply 8. With reference to FIG. 5, shows the back view of the powered rocking base, the location where a power cord attaches to the base 6, and a detailed illustration of the friction knobs 1. The front view of the powered rocking base in FIG. 6, highlights the location of a variable speed on/off switch 7, which is attached to the battery power supply 8. In the sectional top view of FIG. 7, the power supply 12, with an affixed worm gear 11, rotating a spur wheel or gear 10, turning the shaft 13, which rotates the mechanical weight 9. As the mechanical weight rotates on its axis, the powered rocking base will freely rock fore and aft. FIG. 8, is the sectional side view of the power supply 12, worm gear 11, spur wheel or gear 10, shaft 13, and mechanical rotating weight 9. FIG. 9, is the side-to-top view of the powered rocking base depicting motion by the use of dashed lines 14, illustrating the fore and aft motion of the rocker. 

1. A powered rocking base for a commercially produced typical molded plastic infant car seat secures the infant car seat to the rocking base and creates a fore and aft rocking motion of the base and infant car seat combined. The powered rocking base comprising of: a. Concave runners connected by a floor which a typical molded infant car seat rests. b. Friction knobs mounted on either side of the rocker secure the typical molded plastic infant car seat to the base. c. The speed of the power unit with mechanical rotating weight is adjustable. d. Our powered rocking base for a typical molded plastic infant car seat is comprised of a reduced number of pieces to achieve fore and aft rocking motion.
 2. An improved powered rocking system for a typical molded plastic car seat currently in production that uses rotating weight is superior to a rocking system that uses leverage against the floor because the rocking motion will be more natural and unforced.
 3. Our powered rocking base for a typical molded plastic infant car seat requires no modifications of the infant carrier seat to which it will rock. 